Born to Adorn
POOL|POOL 83

‘Aaraa by Avantika’ is jewelry and accessory designer Avantika Kumar Agrawal’s way of making a mark in a field dominated by traditional family-run businesses

Born to Adorn

From engineering to jewelry design – how did that come about?

AA: My design journey has always been a very intuitive one at a subconscious level. As a teenager I used to plunder my mother’s sewing box and supplies, gather other small objects from home and make handmade jewelry and accessories, some of which I sold to small boutiques in Pune.

I went on to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, but by the time I was in my fourth year I had realized that my passion lay in something more creative and esthetically inspired. With quite a bit of persuasion from my father, and then boyfriend now-husband Dhruv, I went on to apply for my Post Graduation in Design from National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad in 2008. This is how I entered the world of real design and worked towards understanding and discovering my passion towards it.

While pursuing Lifestyle Accessory Design at NID, I never thought of specializing in jewelry design. During my second year I sent my entry for India International Jewelry Week 2010 (IIJW) and was selected. I designed a collection that presented jewelry in a new light altogether. I crocheted textile material to produce voluminous structures that went on to become opulent and avant-garde jewelry. I got the opportunity to showcase my work in front of the entire Indian jewelry and fashion fraternity and received rave reviews. It was then that I decided to specialize as a jewelry designer and went on to intern and work with Jaipur-based Amrapali Jewels, one of the most prestigious jewelry houses in India.

What was working with Amrapali like?

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة POOL 83 من POOL.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة POOL 83 من POOL.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

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